All the Wilderness

My father used to tell me about the wilderness.

He said it's a place where all things go to live,

and all things go to die.

A place for wonder.

A place for fear.

My father said each man's wilderness is his own.

It's alive in us.

Charm!

Where you going, man?

Hey, Charm!

Restless.

Waiting.

Cory!

He found time, even at that tender age, to pay his tailor's bill properly,

and to fold his trousers with the same crease every night

so that he always looked neat and dignified.

Strange to say, he made no friends.

Perhaps he was just a thought too perfect for a district like the five towns.

Do you have a headache?

- James? - Elliot's gonna die.

What do you mean?

Elliot. My hamster.

This is a threat, Abigail. It's not...

Are you kidding me? This isn't a threat.

You know him. He's having a rough time. It's only been six months.

That's not an excuse. Your son punched my kid in the face.

Look, maybe this homeschooling thing just isn't working.

- Maybe if he actually socialized... - Oh, excuse me?

Don't go there. You have no idea what you're talking about, and...

Yeah, I do.

I really don't even know it's that big of a deal.

I don't understand why he would run from him.

Did you write this?

James, this is not right.

James.

You can't go around telling people that they're going to die. It's not cool!

- I'm not trying to be cool. - Okay, you know what?

You're scheduled to see Walter tomorrow. You can discuss it with him.

Of course, let him deal with me.

Come on, Elliot.

Come on, dude.

Let me out...

Turn we then to the one proper masthead.

That of a whale-ship at sea.

Lost in the infinite series of sea...

Nothing ruffled but the waves.

Straining along the deep...

while beneath you swim the hugest of monsters.

There's a wolf in me.

Fangs pointed for tearing gashes.

A red tongue for raw meat.

There's a hog in me. A snout and a...

Did you know turquoise isn't from Turkey?

What?

Your ring.

It was actually traded in Turkish bazaars, but it was found in Iran.

I know a lot about turquoise.

Great.

Yeah.

What happened to your face?

- I was kicked by a mule. - A mule?

Big fat one.

James? Dr. Pembry's ready for you.

Your shoes, Walter.

They're ridiculous.

Why are my shoes so important, James?

Well, they're not important to me, but they should be to you.

Why?

Well...

For all you know they could be...

lifting a piano to the fourth floor as we speak.

And then you step outside, a cable snaps, and then boom.

Dead. In those hideous shoes.

Is that how I'm going to go? Death by piano?

Is that what you believe?

And what about...

your hamster? You also know how he's going to croak, right?

You know, that's unprofessional. To do that during a session.

Well, I heard you were officially accepted to St. Helen's.

The freak school?

It's not a freak school.

Some of the most gifted young people in the world have studied there.

At the freak school in the mountains.

Well, it's normal to be scared or anxious to go to a new school.

- I'm not scared. - Really?

Really, and this is a waste of my time, because I'm not going.

Might be good to meet some new people.

- James... - I don't want to talk about it.

Alright, how about your father then? Let's talk about your dad.

You went to visit his grave the other day?

James?

I'm going to excuse myself to the restroom.

Hey.

You're so busted.

Where you going?

I'm leaving.

Looks more like escaping.

Maybe.

Where are you escaping to?

- Home? - That's not very ambitious.

I don't have anywhere else to go.

I gotta go.

So, how did it go?

Did you two talk about school?

James?

Earth to James!

St. Helen's. Did you and Walter talk about it?

I have a headache.

This could be really good. It's an honor you got in.

- They're really impressed. - All right.

I really want you to look at the web site. They're super progressive.

They've got specialty studies on music theory and gothic literature.

Philosophy...

I have to stop by the shop and pick up a few things.

There's a wolf in me.

Fangs pointed for tearing gashes.

A red tongue for raw meat.

I keep this wolf because the wilderness gave it to me.

And I cannot let it go.

James?

What did you do to Elliot?

What?

What...

What did you do to him?

I didn't do anything.

What? You think I killed him?

I need my notebook.

Don't...

- I'm not kidding, James. This is... - I didn't kill him!

- James, talk... - Stop!

You smell like wine.

There's a baboon in me.

It lives inside my head.

Clawing and yapping.

I roam in the dark.

Going God knows where.

Excuse me, but... Haven't I seen you before?

By the North Oak clinic, you were playing the piano?

Did you give me a dollar?

No, I didn't.

Oh, well, shit I must not've been that good then.

No. No, I... I just couldn't.

Well, then shit, you owe me a dollar then.

Yeah.

I'm fucking with you, man.

I'm joking.

I'm Harmon.

James... Charm.

Alright James Charm.

Do you know Frederic Chopin?

Chopin?

You usually ride around the bus at night talking about Chopin?

James Charm.

- Who's this? - That is James Charm.

What are you wearing?

Just my clothes.

- I like it. - Thanks.

Is she, like, your girlfriend?

Me and Gunny. No.

Gunny's into girls.

Well, sometimes she's into dudes, but mostly girls.

So, where you going, Charm?

I... I dunno.

You wanna come with us, string bean?

- Where are we going? - Ain't nowhere we're going, man.

- What's up, man! - Hey!

What is he doing?

You know that girl?

Kind of. Not really.

I think she hates me.

Well, see, if you think she hates you, she probably likes you.

So, you're good. Go talk to her.

Go on, go talk to her.

- Do you work here? - Yeah.

What's that?

It's a pink sugar elephant.

And yeah, it hurt.

I don't think I asked that.

Probably were about to.

No. No, I'm just curious as to why you have a little elephant.

I don't know why.

Getting kind of emotional about it.

Excuse me?

I didn't mean to offend you.

I'm actually very fond of them. E-elephants.

God, you're weird.

So why are you even here?

- What do you mean? - I've never seen you here before.

Pretty sure you're stalking me.

I'm... I'm wanted for hamster murder.

Come on, man, we're out.

- What? - The game.

- This is... - Val. I'm Val.

I'm Harmon.

Okay.

Okay.

Come on, string bean.

- I guess I gotta go. - Alright, I'll see ya.

See ya.

What is this place?